Women play a huge role in the financial landscape: from asset management to banking and financial governance,
the industry is full of extraordinary women working against the odds to succeed in a male dominated market.
As such we have created the 2016 Women in Wealth Awards, which showcase the very best women from across the
financial environment. We are not concerned with company size or how illustrious their clients are: what matters is
dedication,hard work and a focus on supporting clients. Sector is not an issue either; everyone from all aspects of
business are eligible for this prestigious programme.

Fabric Innovations is a design-driven fabric company providing bedding, drapery, and upholstery
fabrics to the hospitality industry. Since 1997, they have been recognized as a leading supplier of
linens, bedding, and customer fabrics to some of the industry’s most prestigious hotels. We spoke
to Deborah Herman, Owner, about the challenges of being a female in this industry and the service
offered by Fabric Innovations.
Boasting more than 200 skilled staff members, Fabric Innovations’
site in South Hill, Virginia, is their primary manufacturing center, and
houses state-of-the-art equipment to allow their team to produce top-ofthe-bed and window coverings for hotel and resorts around the world.
They simplify the overall ordering process for their clients by offering
fabrication and installation services which complement their production
process.

since I was 25 and have 3 generations of Hotel Bedding Manufacturing
experience in my family. My Father and Grandfather made bedspreads,
and from a young age I was very interested in the textile side of the
business. That initial interest has grown into Fabric Innovations
today, and is the reason that I am so passionate about quality in our
productions.”
Deborah believes it is very important to support other women looking to
break into this industry, and advises them to partner with their financial
institution in order to reach the top of this sector.

Alongside this, Fabric Innovations is certified as a Women Business
Enterprise (WBE) by the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council
(WBENC). This certification is considered the gold standard, and is
nationally accepted by thousands of major corporations, as well as
government entities, seeking to do business with a women-owned
business. Deborah explains how there are very few textile businesses
owned by women currently, and how this has caused her to be met with
some prejudice over the years.

“I think that banks like working with women, and the old belief that they
do not has been fading for the past decade. To reach the top of this
industry, tenacity, financial stability and business acclamation are all
very important. People who are looking to be successful in this space
should start small, and not try to expand their businesses too quickly;
that is a definite recipe for failure. Since our inception we have doubled
in size, and we attribute our success to building slowly over time, great
employees and big name contracts like W Hotels, Virgin Hotels and
Starwood. I also believe that education is very important, and I am
involved with programs like AHLA Scholarship Funds and Executive
Women in Hospitality to give back to the wider community.”

“It is something that I used to meet with, but which I am hoping to
begin to see dissipate. I feel that education and my interest in the
business has helped me to overcome the obstacles that being a female
in this industry may have caused for me. The textile market is huge,
and I aim to be a global leader; I was one of the first living persons, and
female, to be awarded the Design Style Icon Award in 2015. This huge
honour has helped me to position my business and company to be a
leader.

Deborah believes that setting goals is incredibly important as she looks
to the future for Fabric Innovations.

“At Fabric Innovations we pride ourselves on quality, and have
a seven-stage process of inspection, which takes place at each
production facility across the globe to ensure that every seam leaving
our manufacturing facilities is flawless. I have worked in the hospitality
and textiles industry for 36 years now, have owned by own business

“We plan to continue to be a global leader in textile manufacturing and
distributing, and hope to build our own office building in the future. I
look forward to working with new brands, developing new upholstery,
box spring covers and throw blankets you would use for beds and
furniture, like chairs.”

5

Women in Wealth Awards 2016

Best Financial Trade Association CEO - Washington D.C

IRI proudly leads a national consumer coalition of 40 organizations, and
is the only association that represents the entire supply chain of insured
retirement strategies. The instituteâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s members are the major insurers,
asset managers, broker-dealers/distributors, and 150,000 financial
professionals.
As a not-for-profit organization, IRI provides an objective forum for
communication and education, and advocates for the sustainable
retirement solutions consumers need to help achieve a secure and
dignified retirement. IRI also proudly leads a national consumer
coalition of 40 organizations, who partner to promote retirement
planning and disseminate retirement planning resources to consumers.
Specifically, with regards to the instituteâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s leader, Cathy joined the
association in 2008 in this role and quickly began an extensive
reorganization and rebranding of the association. The rebranding
resulted in expansive membership growth and more than doubled the
organizationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s budget. It also included instituting a research division,
which today produce industry-leading reports focusing on the retirement
outlook and needs of various consumer demographic groups. This
includes research reports on Baby Boomers, Generation X, Millennials,
Women, and Recent Retirees. In addition, IRI produces considerable
educational content for consumers, including retirement planning
resources, tip sheets, and online calculators.
The rebranding of the association also entailed relocating the
association to Washington, D.C., and establishing a government affairs
operation to advocate for policies that encourage savings and promote
lifetime income. Today, IRI is a high-profile organization at the center
of discussions involving retirement security issues. This involves
participating in meetings with the White House, Members of Congress,
and state, federal and international regulators.
Having spent most of her 40-year career as a regulator and consumer

The Insured Retirement Institute (IRI) is the leading trade association for the retirement income
industry. We profile the institute and its dedicated President and CEO Cathy Weatherford to explore
how its services revolve around supporting its members.
advocate, Cathy has strong experience in this field, which include
serving as Oklahoma’s Insurance Commissioner, a state-wide elected
office, a position she held from 1991 to 1995. In this capacity, she
served on the Board of Trustees of the Oklahoma State Employees
Retirement Systems and on the Board of Directors of the Oklahoma
State Employees Group Insurance Program. She also served as the
EVP and CEO of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners
(NAIC), the U.S. standard-setting and regulatory support organization
created and governed by the chief insurance regulators from the 50
states, the District of Columbia and five U.S. territories.

horizon, which will enhance both her own career and those of her
fellow women within the industry. During the fall of 2016, she will be
promoting the release of her book, “Women and Wealth.” This will
include media outreach focused on the needs of the women’s market,
and speaking engagements to encourage holistic retirement planning
among financial professionals and identify steps firms can take to
promote financial advising careers for women.
One key concept she espouses in the book to financial professionals
is “holistic retirement planning.” Holistic retirement planning involves
focusing on more than earnings or reaching a certain savings number.
Rather, it requires developing retirement plans focused on the goals
and higher aspirations of the client that those earnings and savings
can help achieve. The holistic retirement plan, as described by Cathy,
is multidimensional and takes into account the client’s unique needs.
Her philosophy is that the holistic planning method will engender trust
with clients, particularly those who are turned off by advisors who
dedicate the bulk of meetings to discussing investment products, rather
than goals. This philosophy is embraced by IRI which will continue to
implement this going forward.

Cathy’s background as a regulator and consumer advocate have
uniquely positioned her to ensure that the consumer is front and
center of all IRI’s efforts. This includes IRI’s efforts spearheading the
National Retirement Planning Coalition, comprised of more than 40
organizations, who work together to promote retirement planning. The
coalition manages the consumer website RetireOnYourTerms.org, and
organizes National Retirement Planning Week® each year to help
consumers develop plans to meet their future needs in retirement.
This also includes developing IRI’s Protecting Older Investors Resource
Center. The resource center offers the latest information, tools and
resources to help consumers and financial professionals detect
diminished capacity and protect against financial elder abuse.
IRI’s membership and annual revenues have more than doubled
during Cathy’s tenure as CEO. Today, IRI serves more 200 dues paying
member companies, including 30 new member firms that joined in
2016. IRI also delivers membership benefits to more 150,000 financial
professionals. A large part of the success of IRI has been based on
building a model focused on creating value for its members by providing
industry-leading resources.
As such, the association is committed to supporting its continued
success, and Cathy herself has a number of exciting plans for the

Lark Group are an independent insurance broker providing cover across a wide range of areas, including financial, commercial, travel and even musical instruments. We invited Eloise Ellis to talk us
through her role and how she has contributed to the firm’s success.
Originally established in 1948 by Roger Lark, Lark Group are now one
of the remaining few independent brokerages in the UK, and still have
Roger’s descendants – Graham and Stephen Lark – on the board today.
Whilst the firm are a general broker, one of its areas of specialism is
in supporting Financial Institutions which is Eloise’s area of focus. She
discusses her role and how she supports her clients in more detail.

“This is a great step but there is still much further to go. The challenges
for women in finance are the same as for all women in any sector – for
those who wish to have children then you have to make a decision
as to at what stage you feel comfortable doing this and how this will
impact your career. Increasingly firms support part time roles, flexi time,
working from home etc., which can support women who want to come
back to work, but it is still a challenge for women everywhere.

“I’ve worked at Lark for over 11 years, starting out as a trainee in our
SME team based out of our Kent office, progressing to head up a New
Business team there, before moving to our London office to head up the
Development of our Financial Institutions Division.

“My advice to anyone looking to succeed in this market is simple: work
hard. Accept that there will be challenges to overcome, and learn from
every mistake. You may find that you change your mind along the way
as to what you ultimately want to do, so be prepared to be flexible and
be open to opportunities to try different things. Support your colleagues,
earn their respect and treat them with respect too.”

“Now I work solely with new clients to Lark; clients that do not buy
through the company at present. Typical clients that we work with are
anyone in the Financial Services sector who are regulated by the FCA.
We are able to assist all sizes of clients, ranging from large corporate
clients to smaller firms who need some additional support.

Over the past year Lark have performed positively. The sector is very
competitive so achieving organic growth is challenging for any business,
but Eloise is optimistic that Lark will continue its positive growth moving
forward.

“Recently, we have seen an increasing number of early stage FinTech
firms who need valuable guidance at this crucial stage of their business.
We are able to offer them support with not just their insurance
arrangements, but with introductions to other firms who may be able
to provide ancillary services to them, as well as helping them with their
own Risk Management.”

“Looking ahead, our Financial Institutions Division is a really exciting
area of the business, and we are keen to continue to grow this,
providing many great opportunities for myself and my team. We have
recently taken on more resources to help us with this and have some
exhilarating plans for 2017 and beyond, which include the launch of
a research report which we commissioned earlier this year into the
wealth management sector. This is a totally unique offering and we are
looking forward to sharing it in the near future. Ultimately, our made
to measure, personable approach combined with our strong existing
client relationships will ensure that we continue to grow organically and
through strategic acquisitions, maintaining our great client service whilst
being able to serve a much wider client base.”

Having worked in the male dominated financial market for over a
decade, Eloise believes that she is beginning to see this changing.
“Fundamentally there is no getting around it; the financial services
industry is still largely male dominated. However, this is starting to
change. I have been to several events for women in the sector, and
there seem to be more of these being planned. I would say that those in
the financial services industry are actually more accepting of women in
high profile roles.

A.I.M. Mutual Insurance Companies is a workers’ compensation insurer based in Burlington,
Massachusetts that provides coverage to more than 18,000 policyholders in a tri-state region.
We caught up with Director of Claims Laura Parsons to learn about the space for women in the
insurance market and how this is steadily changing.
Established in 1989, A.I.M. Mutual Insurance Companies are the
2nd largest writer in Massachusetts, the 4th largest writer in New
Hampshire, and growing in the state of Connecticut. Laura, who has
been working in the insurance industry for over 36 years, outlines the
challenges she has encountered and the advice she would like to offer
any woman seeking to emulate her achievement.

industry, it is also important for me to develop bench strength for our
key positions.
“I am very fortunate to work for an incredible company whose primary
goals are to be innovative and excel at the services we provide. All new
ideas and processes are given a serious review, and as such there are
no limits to what we can achieve.”

“When I first started in the insurance industry, there were not many
women in management, particularly in the technical disciplines. I found
I had an aptitude for claims, and I worked hard to learn everything that I
could to make myself valuable to the department. I never backed down
from a challenge and tried to not become discouraged.
“Advancement opportunities eventually came, and I think the most
important piece of advice I can offer any woman looking to succeed is
to prove your value as an individual in your field by becoming proficient
at what you do. Be confident in your ability and never believe that you
have learned everything there is to know. Remember to listen and keep
an open mind when dealing with your co-workers.”
“Ultimately, I am amazed at the change in the landscape of my
industry since I first started my career. I truly believe working for a good
company with progressive leadership gives women a real opportunity
to succeed today and also feel satisfied with her contribution to the
industry.”
Moving forward, Laura is keen to continue to succeed and support her
team in offering the very best possible service to their policyholders.
“Personally, my goal moving forward is to continue to work and find
efficiencies within my department. In that way, I can help the claim
team succeed in their jobs with fewer errors, better response time,
and a real sense of accomplishment. With the aging workforce in our

Avant Mutual Group (Avant) is Australia’s largest medical defence organisation (MDO). Avant
is a mutual, not-for-profit organisation, wholly owned by their members. Through their licensed
insurance subsidiary, Avant Insurance Limited, they offer a range of insurance products to medical
practitioners and students throughout Australia. We spoke to Pamela Michael, who told us more
about their expert medico legal advice, and the assistance that they offer to over 72,000 medical
practitioners and students.
Avant has its own legal firm, which is a point of difference with all
other MDOs in Australia. With 48 lawyers nationally, who specialise
in medical-negligence and health law, they provide high quality legal
services and personalised support as well as rapid responses to urgent
medico legal issues. Pamela has over 26 years of health and legal
experience, and in June 2015, she was permanently appointed to two
roles at Avant, which she holds simultaneously.

in their fields, and now, more often than not, experts in running their
own businesses. Avant is looking to provide a range of products and
services that will help our members to practice medicine safely and to
run successful businesses.”

“I am the only person in Avant to hold dual roles, with teams of 80
and 53 respectively. My previous roles with Avant included Head of
Professional Conduct NSW, then Head of Professional Conduct and Civil
NSW, and was subsequently appointed to the National Head of Avant
Law, which I now hold concurrently with the Head of Medical Defence
and Services role for NSW.

“I have a strong interest in business, as well as being passionate about
the fashion industry. At some stage, I would like to challenge myself and
combine my business, leadership skills and creative side.”

Pamela is excited about her future, finding her current position fulfilling
and stimulating.

“These roles gave me the opportunity to work with my teams, the
business and our members, so we could better assist our doctors when
they are faced with a claim or complaint, particularly given the medicolegal environment is constantly changing.”
Tort reform in Australia in 2001 resulted in the capping of the amount
of damages a patient may receive as a consequence of suing a
doctor. However, despite this, patients have become increasingly
demanding of doctors, and are now quicker to complain or commence
legal proceedings when their expectations are not met. A patient’s
presentation, the medicine and any co-morbidities can be extremely
complex for doctors, particularly in circumstances of an increasingly
ageing population.
“The business of medicine is changing, requiring doctors to be experts

Bankers Advisory, a CliftonLarsonAllen LLP Division, provides mortgage file assessments, consulting
and training to banks, thrifts, credit unions and mortgage bankers throughout the United States. We
invited Principal and Founder Anna DeSimone to talk us through her role in the firm’s success.
Bankers Advisory was founded in 1986 as an educational consulting
company servicing the mortgage industry, and was acquired by
CliftonLarsonAllen LLP, a professional services firm delivering integrated
wealth advisory, outsourcing, and public accounting capabilities to help
enhance its clients’ enterprise value, in 2014. Anna discusses her role
in the company and how her previous experience helped her in her role.

a large staff of female attorneys and former bankers. CliftonLarsonAllen
is a career-building firm with a compelling infrastructure for recognizing
talent and empowering people toward individual achievement.”

“As founder and CEO of Bankers Advisory, my role from 1986 was
managing and growing the firm. As a former banker working in the
residential mortgage area, I understood the challenges of regulatory
compliance changes and built Bankers Advisory as a firm to help banks
maintain compliance with those changes.”
Under the direction of CLA, Bankers Advisory has grown and continues
to serve nearly 150 financial institutions nationally. For Anna the future
is equally bright, as her role as publisher of a compliance newsletter
and a series of best practices guidebooks has been very rewarding and
will continue post-retirement. Anna, who is proud of the successful
career she has forged for herself in the financial industry, is eager to see
more women succeed in this environment going forward.
“On a global basis we have so many accomplished female leaders who
serve as role models to women in finance. They continue to inspire
us and I am truly proud to be among their ranks. I feel the strongest
attribute a woman can have is industry knowledge. True confidence
is built upon learning and experience, and that takes time. But once
achieved, women can soar to great heights.
“Moving forward, I would like to see more training and education
offered by financial institutions for women so that they can succeed,
and I believe that this training should be linked to benchmarked goals
and rewards. People need to know where they are going in a job and
they need to visualize their career path. At Bankers Advisory, we have

Jo Sweetland is Managing Partner at Green Park, an Executive Interim and Executive Search and
Leadership Advisory firm, where she is Head of the HR practice. In the private sector, Green Park
specialise in enabling financial organisations, whether they are FTSE 100 companies or SMEs, to
source diverse talent from their deep networks of financial expertise.

Green Park have continually managed to move the dial on diversity
by developing a suite of equality and performance-optimising services
which enable both clients and candidates to achieve favourable success
from their mandates. Jo told us more about her work as head of the HR
Practice.

integrate flexibility for women into their culture which would provide a
compound platform to progress the careers of women on an equal basis
to their male peers.
“Looking to the future, I think my main goal is to have a vital role in
Green Park’s continuing success story, and to continue to lead the field
in the search and interim sector. Personally, I want to make it easier for
women in business to succeed and continue to open the eyes of my
clients to the power of gender, and holistically, diverse workforces.”

“I work with a range of businesses, right across the private sector,
enabling them to solve some of their most pressing people-based
challenges. Being a trusted adviser to my clients is vital to both my own
and Green Park’s HR brand. I was the fifth hire at Green Park, and have
now been at the company for ten years. I was headhunted by the CEO
of Green Park from Boyden, where I was Senior Consultant looking after
interim and senior appointments across the private sector.
“Green Park have enjoyed great success to date, and I feel very lucky
to have been a part of this fantastic journey. A big factor in our future
success will be continuing to work with the most talented people,
whatever their background, and I want to help this process by being a
mentor and role model for future women leaders, both in Green Park
and beyond. I think the playing field is levelling for women in business,
and women are increasingly recognised for their performance. However,
I think that as women, we do have to work harder to demonstrate our
credibility and be heard. In financial services, there are preconceptions
that have to be overcome and positive strides are being made towards
this. Even ten years ago, HR was still seen as a ‘fluffy’ subject; now,
businesses increasingly recognise that the people agenda should be
right at the heart of a successful organisation.”
Jo would like to see women given the opportunities that their skills,
experience and talent deserve. She believes that companies should fully

Mundays LLP is a long established law firm, who are proud to have built a strong and vibrant client
base, alongside a national reputation, from their office in Surrey. This office is well located for
national and international clients, as it is situated within an easy commute of London’s orbital M25,
and both London Gatwick and London Heathrow airports. We profile Julie Man, Head of Private
Wealth, within the firm.
Before joining Mundays, Julie was a Partner in another Surrey-based
law firm, then joined Mundays in November 2006 for technical
progression. During her time at Mundays, she has progressed from her
role as a Solicitor, to Associate, to Partner, and more recently Head of
Private Wealth in 2013.

forward. She hopes to develop the business to ensure that they can
attract a broader client base, and maximise the opportunities of growth
that the addition of the London office in 2015 has brought about. She
will continue to attract high net-worth work, international work, new
clients and referrers.

Julie now continues to lead the Private Wealth team. Julie says that,
“As manager, I believe it is within my role to harness the talents of
the Private Wealth team, each one hand-picked for their exceptional
abilities. I work with them all to maintain the highest level of client care
standards, whilst keeping an eye on the bigger picture of recognising
and honing the skills in a way that ensures an enviable team spirit and
work-life balance at Mundays.”
The detailed knowledge and experience that Julie has acquired over
the last ten years of continuous progression at Mundays has helped to
establish her as a solid legal adviser in the private client arena, both
internally within Mundays and externally. This has been complemented
by an approachable and grounded style, which has earned her an
enviable reputation for success amongst her loyal client base. Her ability
to distil complex points of law and clearly explain them based on the
nuances and practical objectives of each client has been highly praised.
The wide range of experience and knowledge that Julie has built up
during her career allows her to advise a broad spectrum of clients, from
established and long standing clients wishing to pass wealth down to
the next generation to successful high net-worth entrepreneurial clients.
The former may need advice in meeting the challenges brought by the
ever changing ‘modern family’ and changes in legislation, whilst the
latter may need help with the necessary technical rigour.
In the future, Julie will continue to drive the Private Wealth team

Sancus Capital Management is a long/ short credit fund specialist focused on exploiting
inefficiencies across credit markets. Founder Olga Chernova provides us with an absorbing overview
of her career and how this has led her to fine tune the award winning investment process which has
made Sancus the success it is today.
Sancus Capital was established in 2009 by Olga Chernova, whose track
record trading credit derivatives dates to 1999 and includes positive
returns every year during the financial crisis. Prior to Sancus, Olga was
a Managing Director at JPMorgan, serving as Head of North American
Credit and Structured Credit for the Proprietary Positioning Business
(PPB). At JPMorgan, Olga was responsible for building and managing
a 12- person credit trading team, and also served as a member of the
PPB Risk Committee.

Barclays US Corporate HY Index is +15.111. Out of the 735 credit
hedge funds listed in BarclayHedge under any of the 11 Fixed Income
strategies, Sancus Capital Select Master Fund Ltd. comes up as
second best. Similarly, in the Preqin database Sancus Capital Select
Master Fund Ltd. is ranked 3rd in year to date performance out of
202 Credit Strategy Funds. Recently Sancus Capital Management has
been awarded Best Multi-Strategy Credit Fund Manager in the fifth
annual Hedge Fund Awards, sponsored by BarclayHedge. In addition,
HFMweek has recognized Sancus Capital Select Master Fund, Ltd. as
Highly Commended during 2016.

From August 2006 to July 2007, Olga was a Managing Director
and Head of Correlation and Index Trading at Dillon Read Capital
Management LLC. From 1999 to 2006, Olga worked at Goldman Sachs
where she held a number of senior trading roles. This vast experience
has helped her in running Sancus and she is most proud of her work at
JPMorgan, as Olga outlines:

Olga talks us through the fund’s investment approach and how it
differentiates Sancus from other, similar investment products on the
market.
“The fund’s investment approach combines fundamental analysis,
a relative value framework and momentum trading. Credit markets
continue to be highly bifurcated, resulting in similar cash flows being
valued differently by various market participants. While many credit
funds focus on one particular area, such as distressed, converts, or
structured products, I feel it is our ability to look broadly cross-products
and find relative value mispricing that gives Sancus a competitive edge.

“My best trades were made when I worked at JPMorgan. During
my time there I was one of the few credit managers to avoid losses
during the financial crisis in 2008. One of the positions I took was
buying protection in sovereign CDS of the US and Western European
governments. Sovereign CDS was a relatively new contract at that time.
This position alone moved from 3 to 100 basis points as the US
government bailed out and took on risk of the investment banks. I view
this as an achievement not only because it generated great positive
returns but also because this trade was very creative. It showcased my
approach to investments: finding an obscure instrument to express
a simple idea to avoid crowded trades and benefit from complexity
premiums.”

“While some competitors might shy away from more complex products,
such as CLOs and synthetic credit baskets, it is my belief that there
is often a complexity premium embedded in these instruments which
offers attractive compensation. This approach stems from my unique
experience as I started in the industry trading fundamental high yield
and then moved to more macro credit products such as synthetic
indices and tranches.”

The fund has achieved an extraordinary year so far for 2016. As of
September 2016 the Fund year to date is positive +41.56% and
inception to date is positive +63.89%. This compares with HFRX
Global Hedge Fund Index YTD return of +1.33% and HFRX Fixed
Income- Credit Index YTD Return of +2.866%. In addition, Fund’s
returns compare very favourably to the static credit benchmarks: The
Barclays Aggregate Credit Total Return Index is +8.862% and the

Ultimately there are very few female hedge fund money managers.
While there are a number of women in senior hedge fund roles, there
are very few who are responsible for founding and launching the
business as Olga is, and this is what truly makes her insight so valuable
to other women looking to succeed in the fund industry.

Acketts Group Limited are experts in all aspects of ATM installation and security. Group Commercial
Director Andrea Wainwright talks us through the services the firm offers and how she helps drive it
to success by constantly striving for excellence.
Positioned within a niche industry, Acketts Group Limited are one of
the longest established ATM service providers remaining and boast a
complete end to end service solution for ATM installation work.

well as consultancy.”
Operating across so many roles and undertaking a wide range of
projects highlights Andrea’s drive and determination to succeed, which
has proven useful when working in a highly male dominated industry.

Through its core project management expertise, Acketts have dealt with
many sizeable programmes throughout the UK supporting many of the
major F.I’s and IADs, (Independent ATM Deployers).

“The industry I work in is significantly male populated. There may
be some apprehension by women to strive for success, in a fear that
opportunities may be limited. Based on my own experience, this fear
is the biggest obstacle. I hope that my own success in this awards
programme will provide confidence to anyone that would like to
consider a financial role.

Andrea, who has worked for the company for 14 years, talks us through
the extensive knowledge she has obtained through working various
roles in the firm over the years. To apply successful leadership and
management, she believes that senior staff should also have a broad
level of knowledge and understanding of the business throughout,
inspired by the variety of roles and projects she has undertaken during
her time with Acketts.

“My advice to anyone, male or female, looking to emulate my success
would be to challenge and believe in themselves. Anything is possible if
you are willing to put the time and effort in. Do not feel discouraged if
you are a minority.”

“My background and introduction to the company starting as company
bookkeeper and after a few years I was promoted to lead the accounts
function. With AAT training, I had always enjoyed management
accounting, as this had allowed me to understand the overall business.
Significant commercial and strategic planning was essential, whilst
navigation through the economic downturn of 2009 and whilst these
were challenging times for many, Acketts Group Ltd remained strong.

Moving forward, Acketts have a number of exciting projects in the
pipeline. For Andrea the future looks equally bright, as she talks us
through her core focus.
“Looking ahead, I am focusing heavily on service delivery, because I
believe in ensuring our clients have a service they can be proud of.
Whilst significant time has been focussed on building the framework, I
now want to dedicate my time to our clients, and I look forward to the
opportunities this will bring.

“By default I began assisting the Managing Director during this period,
supporting her across a variety of projects and areas, and I was then
appointed Group Commercial Director in 2013.

“Acketts Group Ltd as a firm has seen year on year growth and our
market share has increased significantly. Our strong balance sheet has
supported investment to broaden our service provision and double our
staffing levels, and this has allowed us to take on many larger projects
which will allow us to grow our market share further and provide us with
increased exposure.”

“Currently my role is significantly broader, but key responsibilities
include; obtaining work under competitive tender and RFPs; reviewing
commercial pricing; supporting the operations team in ensuring service
delivery; strategic planning and growth strategies; review market trends
and subsequent growth strategies; presentation and public speaking; as

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programs offered in more than 12 languages, and clients across six continents, The Ken Blanchard
Companies is recognized as one of the world’s foremost leadership, organizational, and engagement
consulting firms. The company’s groundbreaking thinking and memorable learner experiences
create lasting behavioral change that has measurable impact on the organizations with which it
works. Karla J. Pinckes, in-house attorney, has been with the company as its Business Contracts
Manager since 2005. She told us more about the work of Blanchard and her role within the
company, and shared her advice for success in the workplace.
Blanchard has partnered with Fortune 500 companies, small to
mid-sized businesses, governments, educational, and nonprofit
organizations to develop leadership capacity, improve workplace
cultures, and drive organizational change and strategic alignment.
Using a collaborative diagnostic process, Blanchard helps identify each
client’s unique needs and business issues, and then helps to develop
an appropriate leadership strategy to increase employee engagement
and organizational performance.

in a new way; from Blanchard 1.0 to Blanchard 2.0. We updated our
corporate values and spent considerable time, thought and effort
‘getting the right people on the bus’ as well as reminding ourselves who
we are and what we do. We are in an excellent position for growth.
“I believe in mentoring, which means empowering others with
knowledge, skill, and opportunity so that they can achieve even greater
success, personally and professionally. This also means giving them
the autonomy to demonstrate their brilliance. My advice for success in
the workplace is that people become the subject matter expert within
their organizations. Their point of view will then be solicited to discuss
and help resolve complex issues. I also recommend being a servant
leader (more focused on others than self) who is ethical, believable, and
intent on listening to learn (opens the mind to think about things in new
ways which fosters innovation and creativity). As Ken Blanchard says,
‘Every day is a gift’; to me this means living a life full of love, meaning,
friendship, humor, and authenticity.”

As the innovator of SLII®, a widely used leadership development
system, the company’s behavioral models add a situational context to
the training experience. Karla notes that this allows individuals to learn
to be more productive in real-world scenarios, and makes the shift from
learning to doing easier and more efficient.
“My role within the organization incorporates a number of important
responsibilities, from sales support and corporate compliance and
ethics, to cross-functional collaboration and training to drive operational
excellence as well as management. More specifically, I draft, review,
and negotiate contracts related to the company’s international indirect/
reseller network and direct sales efforts as well as conduct legal
research related to these efforts. I also compose and implement policies
to ensure compliance with data privacy and security regulations, antibribery (FCPA) and sanctions (OFAC) obligations, including third-party
due diligence, all while ensuring adherence to federal government
pricing and subcontractor requirements. I support company growth
through continued education and peer discussions about industry
standards, practices, and market trends, and provide guidance to
executive management regarding these important topics.
“We recently embraced a ‘do less, better’ mind-set, which will continue
to guide our efforts going forward. We are also looking at our company

NickJen Capital Management is a Discretionary Commodity Trading Advisor and their Commodity
Only Program is called the NRD-1. Lisa Parrinelli is their COO and Risk Manager however her role
is far from typical; it includes Investor Relations, Strategic Planning, Business Development and
Marketing. We spoke with Lisa to find out more about her time at NickJen Capital.
NickJen Capital was established in April 2014 and Lisa has been
working to develop their brand since the firm’s launch. The Founder
and Portfolio Manager, Nick Gentile, reached out to her when he began
contemplating leaving his old job to start NickJen Capital and asked her
if she would be interested in helping him develop the CTA.

“In the upcoming year our main goal is to continue to grow the portfolio,
nurture and maintain our current relationships and hopefully add
several new clients. This month we were extremely pleased to announce
that our AUM increased by more than 12% to reach 54 million. Our
new objective is to target 100 -125 million by the end of 2017.”

“Nick told me that a Family Office had expressed interest in having him
establish a CTA and that they were willing to give him the seed money
to get started. Trading the Program was his priority and he needed a
counterpart who could do just about everything else and he felt I would
be the perfect fit. He offered me a position as COO – Risk Manager and
also gave me a percentage ownership in NickJen Capital, making me
his partner.”
Since becoming a partner at NickJen Capital, Lisa’s own success has
become synonymous with the success of NickJen.
“This is an extremely exciting time in my career; it is the first time that
I have been afforded the opportunity to actually reap the rewards of my
hard work. On a bad day I give 100 %, so I cannot begin to tell you how
disappointing and frustrating it is to give your all and end up with no
say in the outcome of a project. I have experienced that situation more
times than I would like to admit; one of my old bosses was particularly
infamous for regularly engaging in that type of behaviour. Here at
NickJen, I play an integral part in the decision making process and
often make key decisions on my own. It is refreshing to work alongside
a strong team of accomplished people, and the group that Nick has
assembled is incredibly talented. On a day to day basis I mostly work
with Nick, whom I revere, and I have happily discovered that we work
very well together; my strengths are his weakness and my weaknesses
are his strengths. When all is said and done, our knowledge bases are
very complementary.

Cheri’s Desert Harvest (CDH) is a food manufacturing company that produces all-natural and
organic preserves, candy, syrup and quick mixes made from local, indigenous fruits and vegetables.
Founder and President Cheri Romanoski talks us through her passion for healthy, fresh foods and
how this has led her to drive her business to the success it enjoys today.
Established in 1985, CDH’s products can be found in the specialty food,
health-oriented, natural grocery markets and the restaurant industry
from coast to coast. Cheri outlines the firm’s success so far, and how
she has worked to ensure that it offers the best quality products to
clients.

along with tenacity, honesty, vision and the drive to move the business
forward is essential in succeeding in the food industry, and therefore
it is vital to the market’s growth and continued expansion that more
women enter into it.
“It has always been a challenge to be taken seriously as a womanowned business, but years of taking on that challenge, receiving support
from people in the industry as well as customers has brought CDH to
the success we enjoy today, and I am keen to support and guide other
women to help them achieve the success that I have. Many women
have great ideas and a vision to help move the food industry forward in
a healthy and prosperous way, but they are faced with many obstacles
in obtaining financing to fund the ideas. More opportunities need to be
offered to women in business in the way of counselling, mentorships
and grants in order to ensure that they succeed.”

“CDH has grown every year since its inception with the exception of two
in 31 years. I attribute this success to a lot of hard work and dedication,
but also to learning early that being diversified is critical to small
businesses. It is important to position your business serving multiple
segments of the industry, so when a segment of the market is declining,
the business is already in position to service other segments that are
strong and more profitable.”
Former teacher Cheri is truly passionate about passing on her
knowledge about Nature’s bounty in the desert and how to be a
steward of the environment while enjoying the fruits of her labour.
She discusses the role she plays in educating others outside of her
role in CDH and how this has enriched both her personal life and her
professional career.

Looking ahead, CDH’s ongoing focus is to continue to innovate and
diversify, as it seeks to offer the best range of natural products on the
market, drawing inspiration from the environment around them, as
Cheri concludes.

“Personally, I have had the distinct privilege of working and networking
with professional women in various organizations, mentoring students,
coaching women in new businesses and donating time in our facility to
female-owned businesses. I am currently working with an organization
in the USA that are striving to support a small village in Ethiopia that
relies on cactus fruit for sustenance, but that are not sustainable. With
our expertise in working with this particular produce we are offering
direction to help problem solve issues in a third world country to make
the village sustainable as well as progressive in business.”

“Being stewards of our environment, at CDH we have developed two
side businesses in different industries by utilizing every part of the
cactus fruit we harvest. Excess fruit is now being used to dye apparel
for the clothing industry and the seeds from the waste is collected,
cleaned and processed to extract the valuable oil within them for
the cosmetic industry. Waste from this process is then used as an
ingredient for animal feed in our zoos. We have developed processes
to use all parts of this nutritional fruit that have never been explored
before.

The food industry overall is a male-dominated environment, from the
production of products to the sales and representation of the products
in the marketplace. Women bring creativity, long range vision and the
ability to remain in-touch with the trends. Cheri believes that more
women need to be incorporated into this industry to capitalize on the
assets and direction they can bring to the ever-changing food industry.
“Women are innately hard workers and multi-taskers. These attributes

“This helps me to achieve my overall goals for the business; to continue
to create new products, to expand our businesses into new countries,
to educate consumers about being environmentally conscious and
to encourage and foster new ideas from women striving to start a
business. We will achieve these goals by aligning our businesses with
strong, supportive leadership from businesses with the same foresight,
direction and integrity.”

Funding London was established in 2004 by the then Mayor of London, with the specific long-term
mandate of supporting the Economic Development Strategy for London through its SME funding
activities. Since its foundation, Funding London has invested more than £45 million into nearly 600
SMEs through its equity and loan funds. We spoke to Maggie Rodriguez Piza, CEO, about the firm’s
mission and how her own career has progressed in this exciting sector.
Funding London’s vision is to be a catalyst for growth within the capital
by providing strategic funding and independent support for early stage
businesses within the London ecosystem. They also aim to enable the
exploitation of sustainable growth opportunities for smaller enterprises.
They achieve this by supporting best of breed fund managers to
deliver investment. Funding London reinvest their returns into new
funds; thereby fuelling the continuous provision of funding to the next
generation of high growth businesses. Maggie believes that to achieve
this vision, their strategy must be to grow their capital base, and by
focusing on making the best commercial decisions when they invest.

senior industry figures and European regulators.”
Maggie tells us that one of the challenges that she has faced in her
career has been the male dominated culture that exists in many
organisations, which can make it difficult for women to inhabit senior
roles.
“Although this is changing slowly, there were very few women in senior
roles in the organisations where I have worked, and I have found that
it is a similar story for women in our client organisations. I found that
there was a lot of sports talk in my time at previous organisations; whilst
this didn’t affect my ability to progress, it meant that it was sometimes
difficult to relate to the senior directors/partners. Owing to this, I’d like to
believe that the respect that I have earned from my superiors has been
based on my competence to deliver excellent work and advice for the
purposes of our clients, rather than being based on external elements.
“During my entire career in the City, I was raising very young children.
The time commitment required in investment banking kept me from
getting home at a decent hour the majority of the time, but I was
fortunate as, more often than not, I could spend my weekends at home.
That made a huge difference to me. However, my career has meant that
I have arrived late to a few school performances, and that I have always
shown up to sports day in my business suit. I managed this lifestyle as
well as I was able, because I loved M&A, and I really enjoyed working
with my colleagues and clients. It is also fair to say that as I became less
junior in the organisation where I was working, I was able to manage my
time more efficiently.”

“I became the CEO of Funding London in 2010, with a mandate
to transform the company from a Special Purpose Vehicle into an
investment organisation, successfully managing around £50 million of
investments with a focus on early stage and growth companies. I am
responsible for the overall strategy of the company and the design,
structuring and implementation of new funds. Under my leadership,
Funding London has launched two very successful early stage equity
funds; A ‘series A’ fund and a co-investment fund (the London coinvestment fund), which is recognised as one of the most active early
stage investors in the UK in 2015 and 2016. Going forward, we plan to
double the size of our activities by securing new funding, plus recycling
the returns from our current funds.
“Before joining Funding London, I was a Corporate Finance Partner at
Mazars LLP, based in London. My role was to advise clients on M&A
and fundraising transactions. I have spent 12 years in the City, firstly at
Hawkpoint, which is now part of Canaccord Genuity, carrying out midmarket M&A transactions and fund raisings and later at Mazars.”
Working in M&A requires a high level of discipline, attention to detail
and precise analytical skills. Maggie has had to develop strong
arguments based on facts and intelligent analysis, in order to best
advise her clients on the merits of particular transactions or how to
achieve their objectives.

Looking to the future, Maggie feels fortunate to be able to move into the
venture capital industry at such an exciting time of growth and progress.
In particular, she feels positive about the efforts that VCs are putting into
supporting more women entrepreneurs and increasing the proportion of
women who are decision makers.
“My aim is to continue to support the growth of Venture Capital in the
UK, and longer term see it become a more important part, by value,
of the private equity industry. The company as a whole are hoping to
design and launch a new fund in the next 12-18 months, so it is a very
exciting time to be involved with Funding London.”

“These skills have served me well as a basis to develop proposals for
new funds in my current role. My experience of working with clients who
were normally C-suite executives or NEDs of publicly listed companies
has proven invaluable in the management of Funding London’s
stakeholder base, which spans politicians, public sector managers,
20

Law Offices
Rosemarie Arnold
Law Offices Rosemarie Arnold provides aggressive representation for victims of serious injury
in Bergen County, Hudson County, and throughout New Jersey and New York. Their staff of
experienced trial attorneys handle cases involving catastrophic injuries and wrongful death, and
pursue compensation for damages caused by negligent drivers, property owners, vicious dogs,
employers and manufacturers.
Law Offices Rosemarie Arnold offers a comfortable and supportive
environment for clients to discuss their legal needs. They challenge
insurance companies and big businesses in lawsuits involving
negligence, dangerous property conditions, products liability,
discrimination, and sexual assault. Rosemarie Arnold leads a team
of lawyers and legal professionals known for compassionate personal
service and the relentless pursuit of their clients’ interests.

a settlement or collected judgement. In New Jersey, the fee is usually
one-third of the net recovery, after the deduction for necessary litigation
expenses. They also have flexible office hours, and can facilitate home
and hospital visits, as well as the free processing of medical bills for
their clients.
The firm cover a wide range of claims, including;
• Motor Vehicle accidents - where they represent drivers,
passengers, and pedestrians injured in car accidents, truck
accidents and motorcycle accidents;
• Dog bites - representing clients injured during animal attacks;
• Workplace injuries - workers’ compensation and third-party claims,
involving building explosions, construction accidents, industrial
accidents, chemical burns, repetitive stress injuries and other work
site injuries;
• Dangerous and defective products - including auto defects,
defective drugs, defective tools, equipment and construction
materials;
• Slips, falls, and premises liability - slip-and-fall claims involving ice,
snow, and other hazardous conditions in grocery stores, malls, and
public areas;
• Elevator accidents - representing workers and private individuals
injured in elevator falls, crush accidents or other accidents caused
by faulty safety equipment;
• Assault injuries - representing clients injured by an assault or other
criminal activity;
• Accidents resulting in catastrophic injuries - representing clients
suffering from spinal cord injuries, burn injuries, eye injuries, and
traumatic brain injuries (TBI). Additionally, the firm represents
clients who have lost a loved one by pursuing wrongful death and
survivorship claims;
• Discrimination and harassment, age discrimination, race
discrimination, and sex discrimination - including sexual
harassment or sexual assault, also civil rights violations involving
disability, national origin, and religion. Additionally, the firm
represents clients who suffered child sexual abuse, and who are
now seeking compensation for their injuries, and psychological
pain and suffering.

The firm’s offices are conveniently located in New Jersey, less than onemile south of the George Washington Bridge, and the New York office
is located on Third Avenue. Attorney’s at the firm are licensed in New
Jersey, New York, Illinois, and Nevada and include four lawyers who are
certified by the Supreme Court of New Jersey as Civil Trial Attorneys.
Clients approach Law Offices Rosemarie Arnold for help in a wide array
of personal injury cases. They are in the business of helping people,
and do not decline cases on the basis of the fees that it will produce.
The law firm receives significant attention in professional publications
and major media outlets due to their success in high profile cases.
Attorney Rosemarie Arnold heads a team of personal injury lawyers who
provide sensitive and caring legal assistance to serious injury victims,
whether they have been injured in motor vehicle accidents, motorcycle
accidents, in a slip-and-fall, by a dog bite, or in the workplace. The firm
is well-known for successfully handling major cases throughout the state
of New Jersey and in New York. Their reputation amongst their clients is
based on their sincere commitment to personal service. As Ms. Arnold
says, “personal injury law is not about greedy lawsuits. It’s about helping
people who need help.”
Law Offices Rosemarie Arnold enjoy working with clients from all
communities, and offer effective legal services in Spanish, Russian,
Italian, and Korean, owing to the linguistic talents of their team. Their
attorneys relentlessly pursue settlements for victims and their families
in claims involving car, truck and motorcycle accidents, product liability,
animal attacks, and fatal accidents.
The firm works on a contingency fee basis. This means that there are
no attorneys’ fees until they recover money for their clients, by way of
21

Women in Wealth Awards 2016

Best Investment Firm COO - New York

When I first joined the company, I accepted a position as a ‘wire
operator’, which entailed completing data entry for the firm; at the
time, I was the only employee in the department. In the years since, I
have transitioned from that position through many different leadership
roles, now serving as both the firm’s Chief Operating Officer and Chief
Compliance Officer. Throughout my tenure at the firm, I have been
responsible for developing and implementing the growth of many
different departments within the company, and have played a significant
role in assisting the firm to expand. I am responsible for the day-to-day
operations of the firm, which includes the firm’s human resources,
training, accounting, marketing and IT departments. I am accountable
for assuring adherence to the many regulatory compliance requirements
of the financial investment industry. I am also directly responsible for
the formulation and implementation of policies and procedures with
the firm’s back office operations. My goal is to ensure that each and
every one of our clients receives an outstanding operational processing
service.
Prior to joining M. Griffith, I had more than 12 years of experience as
the Advertising Manager of an in-house advertising agency for Tehan’s
Catalog Showrooms. I was also the Director of Operations for Tracker
Referral Network, Inc, where I developed and implemented corporate
operations. In both cases, I was responsible for the day-to-day duties
of the department and company. I like to show through these past
experiences that with hard work and determination, an entry level
position can eventually lead to a lifelong leadership role. I believe that
my unique history of advancement demonstrates the endless career
possibilities for all women, in any workforce, including the financial
industry.

M. Griffith Investment Services, Inc. was founded in 1947 and is a dually registered broker/
dealer and RIA financial investment firm that specializes in financial planning, investment
management and retirement planning services. The firm offers a full spectrum of financial planning
and investment services, from brokerage, insurance and retirement planning, to investment
management, corporate retirement plans, and much more. Cathy Cucharale has now been with the
firm for over 18 years, and has contributed significantly to their success in this time. We spoke to
Cathy to find out more about her approach.
The financial industry, as well as other industries, has been primarily
led by men in the past. One of the things that intrigued me most when
I first joined M. Griffith was that it was initially run by Margaret Griffith;
a woman who was the head of the corporation, at a time when women
did not head corporations. Although I was not fortunate enough to have
worked with Margaret, her legacy is very much present within our firm
today.

my industry, so together, we can advance. Outside of my firm, I work
through my role as the Treasurer for the Chamber of Commerce, to help
women in various organizations and industries.
Looking to the future, I would like to continue expanding my knowledge
and to become a resource for others in our industry. I would also relish
the opportunity to continue to work with other peer firms, to solve issues
and create best practices, as well as advocating for peer firms with our
regulators in the industry. As I enjoy giving back, I will continue to work
with my community, to help women of all ages and industries reach
their goals.

Very few women hold the position of Chief Operating Officer in the
finance industry, which means I work hard, to not only succeed
amongst my peers, but to represent the other women in my industry.
I am determined to take part in various programs and speaking
engagements to exhibit my knowledge and expertise. In my experience,
I have found that a lot of women in this industry take on a support role;
they are too intimated to speak their mind, so they limit their success. I
strive to empower women who have the will power to succeed. Women
need to be able to feel empowered to participate and express their
thoughts and ideas, and to not become discouraged if one opportunity
does not work out, as another will present itself if they are determined.

M. Griffith is currently growing and looking to expand. With the
regulatory changes that our industry is facing, many smaller companies
are finding it difficult to move forward or to stay in business. M. Griffith
is looking to partner with these businesses to show them the benefits of
an employee owned company. Our service model is a bit different than
other firms in our industry and as such, when coupled with our current
support structure, makes us ready to move forward with expansion.

I strongly believe that we need more professional women mentors, to
help women who have the courage to grow to their true potential; I act
as a mentor for women, as I feel so strongly about this. By providing
a support system and encouragement, I work to help women in my
industry, and others, grow to work to the best of their ability. I never shy
away from a task and never ask a person to do something that I have
not done myself. Within the wider industry, I take part in many different
regulatory programs, which provides the opportunity to not only grow
myself, but to share my knowledge and experiences with others in

Founded in 1976, Sotheby’s International Realty brand is a unique, luxury network of brokerage agencies,
offering a wide collection of luxury homes, estates and properties for sale throughout the world. Bonnie
Seaton has been with the company since September 2013, and has committed herself to delivering
continuous excellence throughout her career.
Bonnie’s career in Real Estate began in 1996, when she joined RE/MAX
Associates. Since this time, she has happily worked with a range of
home buyers and sellers, including first time buyers, move-up buyers,
investors and veterans; she is dedicated to helping people find the
perfect home for their needs and preferences.

•

She is based at the firm’s La Mesa office, which serves the surrounding
communities with properties from the smallest cottages to the luxury
homes of Del Cerro, and the large and sprawling estate properties of
Blossom Valley in the eastern foothills. This allows Bonnie to cover
an incredibly large area, including Alpine, El Cajon, Jamul, La Mesa,
Lakeside, Mt. Helix, Santee and surrounding areas.

•

•
•

•

•

Bonnie feels very honored to have been awarded the ‘Five Star
Professional Award’ every year since 2012, which recognizes that she
has been achieving excellence in outstanding customer service, an
award which is solely based on consumer satisfaction surveys. She
is known as hard-working, energetic, honest, detail-oriented, and
recognizes that good communication is fundamental in every successful
transaction.

“She was my eyes and ears on the ground as I was in Alabama for
most of the experience.”
“We highly recommend her services as a top-notch, no-nonsense
Realtor.”
“All of our business was cordial, friendly and it mattered not
whether we were face to face or 2,400 miles away.”
“We’ve never dealt with a more professional realtor. That’s why we
have worked with Bonnie on 4 real estate transactions.”
“Bonnie knows how to close a sale. I couldn’t have been more
pleased. We got more than asking price and closed the deal in a
very short time.”
“Thanks for a wonderful sales experience and you now have a
customer for life!”

Bonnie does not rest on her laurels when it comes to continuous growth
and education in order to maintain her high standards; she has earned,
and maintains current industry designations such as Senior Real Estate
Specialist (SRES), Graduate Realtor Institute (GRS), and Certified
Distressed Property Expert (CDPE).
When asked about her life outside of work, Bonnie told us about how
much she enjoys volunteering for good causes.

“I have found that the number one complaint people have about their
realtors is that they do not communicate effectively. I have always gone
the extra mile to communicate with my clients, as it is such a key area
of my business. If you don’t communicate well with your clients, you
are bound to have problems. They must always know what is going on,
whether good or bad, so that they feel included in the process and are
not getting confused. My clients know that if they have any questions, I
do not want them to sit and stress about it alone, I want them to call me
and let me take care of it for them.

“I volunteer at various events throughout the year, ranging from working
with children, and preparing backpacks for them, to working a weekend
event for homeless veterans. This yearly event sees homeless veterans
and their families invited for a weekend where they can receive medical
help and necessities, as well as being able to have fun with their
families. This year has been the first year I have volunteered at this
event, but I found it so rewarding that I will definitely be returning in the
future.”

“A key factor in my success has been the fact that I am very hands
on. No matter how busy I am, my clients get the full service package
from me at all times, and I want them to feel like they are number one;
because to me they are, each and every one of them. I respect them
and all of their needs, and understand that the process of buying and
selling property can be a very stressful experience.”

Looking to the future in a professional sense, Bonnie is excited to have
the opportunity to continue improving every day.
“I want to be able to help as many people as possible, and grow my
business as best as I can. I am going to continue working hard, to be
there for my clients, and to keep my clients number one.”
One thing is certain for the future; Bonnie will continue delivering
excellence to the clients that choose to work with her.

It is easy to see from customer testimonials just how much Bonnie’s
clients value the level of service they receive from her:

Saffery Champness has been advising clients for over 160 years, providing fiduciary services in Guernsey
for 40 years. We are one of the largest independent providers of fiduciary services on the island, and
have offices in Geneva and Zurich.
We manage and work with a number of private offices for international families, and our offering
ranges from looking after financial affairs to providing concierge-style services, together with fiduciary
and corporate structuring. We have particular expertise in managing trusts, private trust companies,
family office services and dealing with specialist assets.
Not only do we have an established and proven track record of providing trust and company
administration services to Family Offices, but we go beyond that role to become a trusted adviser with
a seat around the family table. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not just about processing. We are thought-led and proactive, adding
value by offering strategic input to the decision-making process and overall position of the client.

Lisa Vizia
T: +44 (0)1481 721374
E: lisa.vizia@saffery.gg

www.saffery.gg
25

Women in Wealth Awards 2016

Best Business Leader in Marketing 2016

Today, Standish provides expert investment counsel to defined benefit
plans, insurance companies, central banks and investors who need
sophisticated fixed income solutions. The investment strategies offered
by Standish span the wide range of fixed income disciplines and are
complemented by a demonstrated ability to design innovative and
effective solutions to satisfy their clients’ needs.
As Director of Marketing, Diane is responsible for, developing and
implementing marketing plans that support business development and
client service efforts. “In addition to those responsibilities, I have the
ongoing challenge of product positioning, content the communication
and support of our investment strategies within the marketplace.
“I have been with Standish for over 12 years, and have held a number
of positions during my tenure here. I started as a Portfolio Accountant,
and after less than a year I was asked to move to a client servicing role
where I had direct contact with our clients. Prior to assuming the role of
Director of Marketing, I was a Product Specialist for our U.S. Municipal
team, which currently manages over $28 billion in assets. In that role,
I was charged with communicating the team’s value proposition to
prospective clients and strengthening client relationships.”
We asked Diane whether she felt that she had encountered any
challenges due to being a woman in this industry, but she believes that
the challenges she has faced have less to do with being a woman and
more to do with being involved in the finance industry on the whole.
“A nine to five, 40-hour work week is not typical for someone who has
aspirations to build a career in this industry. It is quite common for me
to be found in my home office late into the night and on the weekends.

Headquartered in Boston, Standish is a leading investment management firm, dedicated to serving
sophisticated fixed income investors. The roots of this company can be traced back to 1933, when
Standish began managing fixed income portfolios for US financial institutions, banks and insurance
companies. Diane Vieira, Director of Marketing, discussed her role within the company and her
aspirations for the future with us.
Even when I am not in an office, I am regularly checking my email,
something that has become a source of great amusement to my friends
and family!

leadership, enhanced visibility and greater connectivity with other
employees and clients.”
Diane details how Standish’s investment team is varied, and includes
credit analysts, economists, and specialists who cover ever sector and
region of the world.

“My advice to someone looking to succeed in the finance industry
would be the same as for any other industry; never let someone take an
opportunity away from you that you have worked hard for. Many times
people struggle with uncertainty, centring around whether they deserve
a promotion or if their work adds value. Confidence is an attribute that
can either hinder a person’s growth or help them succeed; finding the
right balance is key.

“A growing body of research shows that gender-diverse teams lead
to improved corporate performance and better investor outcomes.
Although the business case for gender diversity is well established,
women are still underrepresented in the investment profession globally.
Whilst evidence supports the need for gender diversity, many younger
women are unaware that the investment management industry can be
an interesting, fulfilling and lucrative career. They need to be convinced
that they can be successful and happy in what is today a maledominated industry.

“We attribute Standish’s success, in part, to our ability to customize
strategies that fit the specific needs of our clients. We do not subscribe
to a one-size-fits-all mentality. We deliver customized solutions to ensure
that our clients are getting the most out of their investment portfolios.
At Standish, we are constantly analysing the investment landscape
to ensure we are well positioned to compete with other investment
managers in the market. We analyse trends that may have an impact
on our short-to-medium-term success as well as trends that will have a
long-term effect on investment management as a whole.

“As a subsidiary of BNY Mellon, we actively support the growth
of women across our firm and the industry. The Woman’s Initiative
Network (WIN) seeks to advance and empower women at BNY Mellon
while developing talented professionals with the potential to drive our
business success and improve our bottom line. As a catalyst for change,
WIN supports the advancement of women at BNY Mellon through
various channels and opportunities for professional development,

“As I look towards the future personally, one constant when it comes to
my career goals is to always commit 110% to the job at hand. I made a
decision early in my career that I wouldn’t look too far ahead, instead I
would focus all of my attention on adding as much value as possible in
the role that I had been hired to do; this way of thinking served me well
through my seven promotions at Standish.”

27

Women in Wealth Awards 2016

Best Woman-Owned Employee Benefits Law Firm - USA

Marcia started The Wagner Law Group by herself and has managed
its substantial growth since its foundation. Now, with 25 attorneys,
and offices in Boston, Palm Beach Gardens, St. Louis, San Francisco
and Tampa, the group boasts clients across the United States and in
several foreign countries. The firm’s clients include publicly-traded
multistate and multinational businesses, sole proprietors, for-profit
clients, professional service organizations, non-profit entities, trade and
professional associations and government instrumentalities.
The Wagner Law Group’s attorneys combine prior experience from
law firms, insurance companies, consulting firms, financial firms, and
an in-house counsel, which lend to a depth of expertise and variety
of perspectives which enables them to handle the most complex
and sophisticated legal issues in their areas of practice. Five of the
firm’s senior attorneys - Russ Gaudreau, Roberta Casper Watson,
Barry Salkin, Bruce McNeil and Marcia - are Fellows of the American
College of Employee Benefits Counsel, an invitation-only organization
of nationally recognized employee benefits lawyers with 20 or more
years of experience. Six of the firm’s attorneys - Russ Gaudreau, Diane
Goulder Cohen, Stuart Klein, Roberta Casper Watson, Bruce McNeil
and herself - are AV rated by Martindale-Hubbell as having a very high
to preeminent legal abilities and ethical standards.
Marcia notes that when she joined the legal profession, it was a very
male dominant sector.
“At the start, I was looked at by many of my male counterparts and
superiors as an intruder. This drove me to work harder and prove that
gender does not define one’s abilities. I was motivated to show the world
that I could be the best in my field, and gave maximum effort in order to
achieve just that.

The Wagner Law Group
Founded in 1996, The Wagner Law Group provides a practical approach to the law and
sophisticated legal solutions, while offering the personalized attention of a boutique law firm.
The firm’s practice areas include: ERISA law, employment law, labor and human resources,
employee benefits, welfare benefits, privacy and security, corporate law, tax, estate planning and
administration, real estate and litigation. Marcia S. Wagner, Esq founded the firm in 1996 and
remains the firm’s Managing Partner today, and was eager to tell us more about her firm and her
experience in the industry.
“I believe my profession now is certainly more receptive to women
than ever before, but challenges do still exist. While issues such as
maternity leave and child care still present challenges for women, and
are still the cause of discrimination in hiring and throughout the course
of employment, laws protecting women’s rights continue to further the
cause and allow women to gain an equal foothold in my profession
and many others. I think that continuing the establishment of new laws
protecting women’s rights and vigilance in the enforcement of existing
laws, combined with sensitivity training will continue to advance the
ability of women to be treated equally.

am widely recognized as an expert in a variety of employee benefits
issues and executive compensation matters, including qualified and
non-qualified retirement plans, all forms of deferred compensation, and
welfare benefit arrangements.
“For the past five years I have been listed by 401k Wire as one of
its 100 Most Influential Persons in the 401(k) industry, and I have
received the Top Women of Law Award in Massachusetts, and am listed
among the Top 50 Women Lawyers in New England. I have written
hundreds of articles and 15 books, and I am widely quoted in business
publications such as The Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, Pension
& Investments, InvestmentNews and more, as well as being a frequent
guest on FOX, CNN, Bloomberg, NBC and other televised media outlets.

“Amongst multiple efforts to help advance other women in my
profession, I take great pride in the fact that I proudly employ many
female attorneys and I also am ardent supporter of the Women’s
Bar Association of Massachusetts, an organization that is committed
to achieving the full and equal participation of women in the legal
profession and in a just society.”

“My goals for my career are to continue to be recognized as the nation’s
top expert in my area of expertise and to continue to steadily grow my
law firm with other recognized experts in the field. I also endeavour,
as the firm grows, to continue providing our existing clients with the
personalized and expert legal advice, that has become the hallmark
of our firm, and to gain new clients in need of those unique services
by further solidifying our position as the country’s finest ERISA and
employee benefits law firm.”

The Wagner Law Group has grown healthily over the past 12 months,
as it has since Marcia founded it 20 years ago. Marcia attributes her
success, first and foremost, to hard work and diligence - both her own
and that of her colleagues.
“I also attribute my success to the unending desire to be the foremost
recognised expert in the field, and with surrounding myself with other
attorneys who are also recognized as such. I am a summa cum laude
and Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Cornell University, and a graduate
of Harvard Law School and have practiced law for over 28 years. I
was appointed to the IRS Tax Exempt & Government Entities Advisory
Committee, and ended my three-year term as the Chair of its Employee
Plans subcommittee, and received the IRS’ Commissioner’s Award. I

29

Women in Wealth Awards 2016

Best Female in Probate Leadership 2016 - UK

The firm continues to do well in achieving its annual milestones as part
of its five-year strategy; in 2015/2016, revenues went up by 11.9%,
with profits up by 21%. Thomson Snell & Passmoreâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s private client
department continues to be one of three main drivers of their growth,
and this was recognised by The Law Society, who awarded them
with Excellence in Private Client Practice 2016. The private wealth
practice covers Tax, Trusts and Probate which includes: Wills, powers
of attorney, tax planning, family investment companies and structures;
the creation, restructuring, and management of trusts, tax returns; and
domestic and multi-jurisdictional estate administration.
Thomson Snell & Passmore service a multitude of clients, with
a particular focus on high net worth individuals ranging from
professionals, such as barristers, solicitors and accountants, alongside
entrepreneurs, those in the music industry, business owners, farmers
and landed estates. They also help their clientâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s families, providing
advice to the next generation and supporting elderly members of the
family.
Helen feels privileged to be one of the owners and custodians of the
firm. She joined the firm over 15 years ago, as an associate, having
practiced in Kent for two other firms. At these firms Helen gained
invaluable experience, with exposure to good quality and interesting
work, which ranged from will drafting, powers of attorney, probate
and also family law. Helen was able to take responsibility for running
private client services, which gave her focus on business skills and
developed her interpersonal skills, which in turn enabled her to build
her career at Thomson Snell & Passmore, undertaking and specializing
in estate administration work, including post death tax planning. Helenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s
background and experience in family law has stood her in good stead
when dealing with the more complex family structures requiring careful
and moderated handling.

Thomson Snell & Passmore
Thomson Snell & Passmore is one of the preeminent law firms in the South East, providing peace of
mind to generations of families and businesses since 1570. Their heritage underpins their longevity,
quality, commitment and reassurance. The private wealth practice has a reputation for providing
high quality, intelligent advice and the very best service to their clients. Helen Stewart has been with
the firm for over 15 years, and is proud to be an owner and a custodian of the firm. We spoke to her
about the performance of the firm and her advice to those looking to break into the industry.
Helenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s main and established role at Thomson Snell & Passmore is
as head of the probate team, which she has carried out for a number
of years, leading a team of six lawyers. Helen is also the departments
trainee supervisor and has been for many years, providing support,
guidance and encouragement to trainees embarking on their career in
law. Helen sits on various committees from time to time, and supports
initiatives across the firm. Business development plays an important
part of her role, both in terms of existing clients, new clients, referrer
relationships and cross selling private wealth services across the firm.
In terms of her own career, her role is to lead the team, contribute
towards the success of the private wealth services, adapt as necessary
in relation to technology and structure, and encourage and mentor the
current and next generation of lawyers. Helen aims to inspire others
to fulfil their potential, so that they can achieve job satisfaction and, in
turn, receive excellent client feedback on all that they do.

will place great value on decisive advice. Experience is key, and that can
only be gained over a number of years of exposure to client work.
Life skills also play an important aspect in the private client work, and
should not be under estimated when dealing with complicated family
structures. At Thomson Snell & Passmore, they have an ongoing
programme of training for all lawyers, covering know-how business
and personal skills. Training, development and encouragement for
individuals are the key to success for that individual and the firm as a
whole.
In terms of equal opportunities, Thomson Snell & Passmore have an
equality and diversity policy which can be seen at http://www.ts-p.co.uk/
about-us/equality-and-diversity. In terms of opportunities and career
progression all lawyers, whether male or female, are judged on their
own merits and performance, not by gender.

In respect of challenges over the years, particularly for probate services,
has been the price sensitivity in the market place. This has led to a
programme of analysis and thought which focusses on providing a
menu of services for clients, which has enabled them to select, by
choice, what level of services they want to buy; ranging from fixed fee
services for obtaining a grant of representation and executor support
through to full estate administration. Providing clarity and certainty on
pricing at the outset has been key for the firm, and their client listening
programme supports the mechanisms that have put in place to ensure
they consistently deliver and meet clientsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; expectations.
When asked what advice Helen would give to anyone wanting to
succeed in the private client practice area of the law, Helen would
stress the importance on keeping focussed on the clientsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; need, and
caring about doing a great job for them, providing clear, astute and
uncomplicated advice. Very often, clients want practical solutions, and